When the BMW 1 Series Sedan was revealed as a product exclusively aimed at the Chinese market earlier this year, we naturally wondered whether it could possibly broaden its horizons into other markets; most specifically ours. Now, BMW has reiterated that it has no intentions of releasing the car in other markets.
This comes from information sourced by Autocar who report rumours regarding the 1 Series Sedan’s impending global launch were false. The reason behind not introducing it into the European market is seen as a lack of popularity compared with hatchbacks.
BMW has also expressed concerned around this model potentially biting into sales of the popular 3 Series, currently sold with a higher profit margin.
“We don’t want to get into a situation like at Audi, where the smaller model finds conquest sales from larger models in the family,” stated an unnamed source at BMW.
Expected within the next two years, it is rumoured that the next 1 Series will be based on BMW Group’s front-wheel drive platform. Following this launch, BMW will assess the global appeal of a 1 Series Sedan.
